The start flag has been dropped, and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) has begun! This week, writers and authors around the world are diligently hammering away at their manuscripts in hopes of crafting and completing a new book (or 50,000 words) by month’s end. It’s a massive feat, and some folks have been planning and plotting for months now, refusing to let something so simple (or not so simple) as research, plotting, and preparation keep them from their goals.

And yet for a few unlucky, disorganized, or simply overwhelmed writers, there’s a sense of alarm and even guilt. Somehow, November 1 arrived before they expected. They have not been researching. They have not been plotting. Heck, some of them haven’t even been able to get breakfast sorted out, let alone think about their book much more than a brief idea and a “hey, this might be a fun project this year.”

We get it. Things don’t always go according to plan, and life isn’t always accommodating, especially if you’re balancing a full-time job, a family, or caregiving.

It's OK. You don’t have to participate in NaNoWriMo this year if you don’t think you’re prepared for it. This a judgement-free place (unless you pooh-pooh the Oxford comma).

But just because you missed the starting line doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the race, or even join in later on. It also doesn’t mean you can’t change the rules to suit your needs.

Set your own writing goals

We’re not gonna lie: 50,000 words in one month is a lot. Like, a lot. Not everyone has the time or the energy for that, or has the option to ease up on work or home responsibilities. So don’t panic. You don’t actually have to commit to 50,000. Start with 25,000 instead, or even 10,000. Consider setting a weekly goal instead of a monthly goal.

Still want to officially participate in NaNoWriMo? You can do it and just not worry about “winning.” Enjoy the spirit, the camaraderie, and the badges, and see if this is something you think you might get into. This year might not be your full NaNoWriMo month, but it might inspire you to get everything together and tackle next year’s challenge with everything you’ve got.

November, Schmovember

Sure, NaNoWriMo is every November. But there are eleven whole months taking up the rest of the year that you can use instead of November. Maybe you’d rather tackle a massive writing challenge in the month you take vacation. Maybe January is a bleary month (because it is) that would be better passed by creating a rough draft of a new book. Are you a parent with school-age kids? Maybe September will be that moment of blessed freedom for you. Don’t get stuck on what everyone else is doing. Do your own thing.

Spend the month writing poetry or blogs . . . anything but a book

Writing a novel in a month might sound like fun to some writers, but for others the prospect of writing a book isn’t just daunting; it’s repellant. That’s OK. There are lots of other kinds of writing you can do over the course of the month while everyone else is typing madly away on their manuscript.

“Rather than writing one 50,000-word novel, try writing two novellas instead,” suggests “6 Alternatives to NaNoWriMo.” “Novellas range in size from 20,000 to 40,000 words. Perhaps their smaller size makes them feel like a goal that’s easier to accomplish. And if at the end of the month you only have one finished, then, hey, that’s one more than you had at the beginning of the month.”

Novellas aren’t your thing? There are a few other ways you can spread your writing wings:

• Write a blog post every day for thirty days
• Write a daily poem
• Participate in online writing prompts on social media (Twitter has a ton of these in different genres and writing styles)
• Start journaling
• Write an act from a play or a scene for a film script every day

Skip the writing and inspire yourself to read

For those of us who are full-time writers or work in publishing and spend our days reading, leisure reading falls by the wayside. Maybe November is your month to get inspired by reading instead. Pick up a book or a collection of stories, try to commit to reading at least one chapter or story a day, and see how many books you can read.

Turn it into a pitching challenge

Writing a book is one thing. Selling it is quite another. If you have a book or five already in print, maybe your NaNoWriMo project in 2022 isn’t writing a new novel but challenging yourself to promote your most recent one. If you have a new release or (even better) are about to release your book, pitch your book to a new publication, reviewer, blog, or even influencer every day.

Looking for a publisher or an agent? Maybe this is the month to start querying. (Just be careful, as some agents don’t love multiple pitches.)

This might also be a great opportunity to pitch smaller pieces to magazines or websites, whether it’s short fiction, essays, poetry, guest blogging, or something else. If you play your cards right, you might end up with some extra cash, too.

Commit to a writing retreat

Maybe you don’t want to spend the entire month of November furiously typing away on your keyboard in your spare time. If you want to make some serious headway on your book and something like NaNoWriMo isn’t quite your speed, think about taking some time off and indulging in a writing retreat. Whether you’re traveling to far-off locations (if you have extra money or you’ve been saving), taking a road trip to a charming countryside B&B, or even taking a week off work to stay home and write, this might be a more organic way to immerse yourself in writing—especially if you’re stuck, you’re just coming back from a hiatus, or you genuinely just want some time to focus on your book.

It might all sound like work—and maybe it is—but taking the time to commit to writing (whether by your rules or someone else’s) certainly will feed your soul. Besides, sometimes there’s no better escape than a book . . . especially when you’re the one creating it.